A Sacrifice too far
by Angel-Sue76
Summary: Is International Rescue really worth the sacrifices when one of them is in Mortal danger
1. Chapter 1

**A Sacrifice Too Far?**

_**Disclaimer: Nothing associated with the Thunderbirds belongs to me.**_

_**Is International Rescue really worth the sacrifices when one of them is in Mortal danger?**_

_**I'm dedicating this to Loopstagirl as it is her fave I'm messing with and she has been so lovely to me. Enjoy Honey.**_

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Scott watched as Virgil skilfully manoeuvred the Mole back out of the ground. His brother's control of the various rescue vehicles had always amazed Scott. Especially when it came to Thunderbird 2, only Virgil could fly her with such grace. They were in England at a collapsed cave. It had recently become a tourist attraction but too many corners had been cut so Twenty people had been trapped and only 12 could be saved. So wrapped up in his thoughts, Scott never noticed a young woman approaching until she was right in his face.

"I thought you guys were supposed to save people?" she asked angrily.

Scott recognised her as the girlfriend of one of the victims. "I'm sorry but we did all we could," he replied, unsure of what to say to comfort the young woman who was clearly grief-stricken.

"My boyfriend died down there. You should have saved him; he was training to be a Doctor. Why call yourselves rescuers when people die?" shouted the young woman. She was completely hysterical now.

An older woman came over and wrapped her arms around the girl. "Come on honey, this won't help." As they turned and began to walk away, the older woman turned back to Scott. "She doesn't mean that. You guys did your best."

Scott watched them walk away and sighed. It seemed like all they had done lately was watch people die. He knew they couldn't save everyone but recently there had been more deaths then lives saved. Scott shook his head to shake the melancholy thoughts away as he still had a rescue to finish. He knew those thoughts would be back though.

* * *

It was late in the evening now and Scott was sat on the balcony with Virgil. They were the only ones up and were enjoying a beer, or two in Scott's case. Normally they didn't drink in case they were called out again but tonight they both needed one. Scott's mind kept going back to the woman at the rescue.

Finishing the last dregs of his drink he turned to his brother asking, "Do you ever wonder if we really make a difference?"

"What do you mean bro?" asked Virgil. He was a little confused as to what Scott meant and wondered if it was the extra drink. Scott hardly ever drank more then one beer or shot of whisky so when he did it often went straight to his head.

"Is International Rescue really worth it, I mean are we really making a difference or helping people. All we seem to do is recover bodies these days," he replied, staring out across the Island.

"They have all been major disasters though so it is to be expected," countered Virgil. He could see that this was really bothering Scott and it surprised him. Scott had never questioned their worth and had been the first to agree to help their Dad set up International Rescue. He had also been the one to convince John and Gordon to join.

Scott just shook his head at Virgil. "More people die a day from natural causes then we have saved. I just don't know if we are doing enough anymore. I don't know if it is worth all the sacrifices."

Virgil began to wonder if Scott felt like the last few rescues were a failure. He knew that Scott took the blame for everything that went wrong in a rescue even if it was something he couldn't control. The last few rescues had been hard and maybe it was finally starting to get to his older brother.

Scott suddenly stood up and walked over to the edge of the balcony. "Emma got married today," he said softly.

Standing up and walking over to him, Virgil asked, "Your ex Emma?" He now understood Scott's comment about sacrifices now as she had been one of them for Scott.

"Yep, her sister wrote to tell me that Emma still loved me. If I felt the same, I was to go to her and she would end her engagement." Emma was his girlfriend when Jeff came up with International Rescue. She was the only reason he had hesitated in joining but his brother didn't know that. They all assumed that Scott had found out when they did but he had known the week before. He hadn't said anything as he didn't want them to know he hadn't been sure. John and Gordon were both reluctant too but for different reasons. They didn't want to give up their careers in WASP and NASA but he had helped them to see the benefits. Now he wasn't so sure he had done the right thing. Maybe he should have let them have their own lives instead.

"You didn't feel the same way?" questioned Virgil, breaking into his older brother's thoughts.

Scott sighed, "I didn't get a chance her letter arrived today. By the time we got back, she was already married."

"I'm sorry Scott," said Virgil, realizing instantly that his brother did still have feelings for her. He knew that Emma and Scott had been together almost since he started training for the Air Force but it had never seemed all that serious. Clearly it had been.

"Doesn't really matter anyway. Dad would never have let her come to the Island and learn the big secret."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. If Dad knew you truly loved her and wanted to spend the rest of your life with her, I think he would. Plus he never said we couldn't get married," replied Virgil, not very sure if what he was saying was true. Jeff hadn't said they couldn't get married but he had never said they could either.

Turning away from his younger brother and running his fingers through his hair, Scott continued. "Even if by some miracle Dad did allow her to know. Would she even want to? It's a lot to handle when your partner risks his life everyday and works all hours."

Virgil knew Scott had a point. They didn't lead normal lives, they were often called out in the middle of the night but then so did many others, and they made marriages work. "If she loves you then she will handle it. It's scary knowing that they may not come home but it's gotta be better to have a few months together then being alone."

Noticing Virgil suddenly yawn, Scott shrugged off his thoughts. He needed to get his younger brother to his bed or he would feel even worse if they were called out before Virgil got some sleep. "I'll be okay, Bro. It's just the drink talking and I think it's time we got some sleep," he said, picking up their glasses.

"Okay Scott," he replied, standing up. As Scott walked back into the lounge, Virgil spoke again quietly. "Don't think I am buying that, big brother. I know that wasn't just the drink talking. All the drink did was loosen you up enough to talk. This is not over." Virgil took one last look at the night sky. Glancing up to the star, John had named after their mother and then headed indoors.

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**_Nope it's not over for poor Scott yet. Things are about to get much worse. Hope you enjoyed this and please let me know what you think._**


	2. Arson

**A Sacrifice too far?**

_**Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews everyone. Well here is chapter two and it's longer and a little more drama ahead sorry Loopsta. This would have been up earlier but I had a little cut oops I mean big cut (is that right Sam?) which made it kinda hard to type. This is for Ollie for helping me out with the ending. **_

_**Chapter 2: Arson.**_

It was morning on Tracy Island and the boys had all been summoned to the Lounge. Scott took a seat beside Alan, leaving Virgil to sit by Gordon. Virgil and Scott exchanged looks to see if the other knew what was going on but they didn't. Meetings generally weren't called this early in the morning unless something was wrong.

Jeff had already contacted John who sat in Thunderbird 5 looking just as confused. "I have called you all here because I intend to bring John down today," explained Jeff, pausing for a moment, as he knew this would be a surprise to his sons. He turned to his second oldest and continued, "I know you aren't due to come down for another week but you look as though you need to come down earlier."

It was then Scott and Virgil both noticed just how pale their brother was. He looked washed-out and there were dark circles under his eyes. "You okay, bro?" asked Virgil, the concern evident in his own eyes.

John nodded and gave a tired smile. "I think I may have a touch of the flu." He had been feeling awful since the rescue yesterday but didn't want to make a fuss.

"Alan I want you to relieve John today and I know it's early but John has been up there for some time," said Jeff turning to his youngest son. Alan should have gone up three weeks ago but he had injured himself on a rescue so John had stayed.

"Okay Dad. What time do you want me to leave?" he asked, quickly hiding his annoyance at being forced to go up there a week early.

"Will an hour be long enough?" asked Jeff, wanting to get John down as soon as possible in case this was more serious.

"Yes Sir," replied Alan and then he turned to his older brother. "See you in a bit Johnny and take it easy."

John just grinned and nodded. Alan then turned and left the room. Virgil moved over to the piano and began playing softly whilst Gordon headed off down to the pool. John then signed off promising to call if he got worse.

"I'm just going to check on some maintenance of Thunderbird 1 before going to get John but it won't take long," said Scott and he also left the room. He was trying to avoid Virgil in case he brought up last night.

As Jeff watched his oldest son leave, he realized that Virgil's playing had faltered slightly. He turned to his middle son to see that his attention was solely focussed on Scott's retreating form. The frown that marred his brow told Jeff that his son had concerns for his older brother but he could also see that Virgil knew what was going on. The two brothers were almost like twins and were the only ones that could get through to each other. Jeff decided not to say anything yet as Virgil didn't seem overly worried and would soon tell him if there was real concern.

Virgil meanwhile had been wondering whether to say anything to his Father about Scott's words last night. Although Scott was doing a good job at pretending nothing was wrong, Virgil knew it was all an act. Scott would kill him if he said something, as he hated admitting he needed help. He was always the one they turned to and not the other way round but maybe this was something Jeff needed to know. Virgil sighed and decided to keep it to himself for now. After all, they had all had doubts before and Scott would soon snap out of it. If he didn't, then Virgil would talk to his Dad about it. With that decision made, Virgil changed his music and began playing a more upbeat tune.

* * *

Scott released his harness and made his way up to Alan who was in control of the huge red rocket. Scott couldn't fight down the worry that John might be more ill then he was letting on. After all none of them were known for being honest about that. It was like an unwritten rule to not admit you were ill. As he reached Alan, he could see annoyance on the younger man's face and felt himself fighting to stay calm. "Lose the attitude before we get up to Five, John needs a break," he said, taking a seat at the console.

"I know that and I don't have a problem going up. I just wasn't ready yet," replied Alan, a little surprised by Scott's sudden anger.

"Well John has been up there seven weeks now," retorted Scott, feeling annoyed that Alan was being so selfish.

"Oh forget it," said Alan, turning away from his older brother. He could see that Scott wasn't willing to listen to his reasons for not going up. Alan assumed he was going up next week so he had made plans with Tintin for this weekend. It was her birthday the following week and he wanted to do something special. Silence falls in the cabin and neither brother attempts to end it. Alan felt hurt that Scott really thought he was that selfish. He knew he had shirked his responsibilities in the past but he would never do it if John were ill.

They are now approaching Thunderbird 5 so Alan begins the docking sequence. As soon as they are safely locked to the satellite, Alan stands up.

"At least look happy so John doesn't feel guilty about going down," said Scott as he adjusted the controls ready for the journey home. Alan just turned and glared at him before exiting the cabin.

"Hey guys," said John as they approached him at the main console. "Are you okay with coming up early?" he asked, turning to Alan. He noticed Scott give Alan a glare and knew there had been trouble on the way up.

"Nah its fine. You need the break," replied Alan, seeing instantly that it was true. John looked relieved to be going home and it wasn't hard to see he was exhausted.

John and Alan completed the changeover and it was now time to head back to Tracy Island. John gave Alan a quick hug and then ruffled his hair. "See you soon, sprout and take care of my baby."

"I will," replied Alan, running his fingers through his hair to tidy it up. Why his older brothers insisted on doing that all the time, he would never know.

Alan then moved over to the main control panel ignoring Scott. However, John quickly noticed that Scott made no attempt to say bye either. Something had definitely happened on the way here and John was going to find out what.

Thunderbird 3 was soon on its way home so John turned to his older brother who was silent and had been since they boarded. "So what did Alan do then?" he asked, hoping Scott would talk to him or else this was going to be a long ride home.

"He was annoyed about having to come up here."

"What's new about that? He hardly ever wants to come up here," replied John, thinking about all the times Alan had made excuses to get out of his shift.

"I know but he could have made more of an effort. It's not like you just want to come down for a swim." Scott fought to reign in his anger, knowing it wasn't John's fault. He also knew that if he didn't chill soon, John would realize this was more then annoyance at Alan.

John grinned slightly at his brother's words and then asked, "Did you ask him why he didn't want to come up?"

Scott hesitated for a moment. "No but he probably has a date or something," he added quickly, covering up for the fact that he didn't even think to ask.

John wasn't convinced by that answer. Alan may have wormed his way out of his shifts for various things in the past but he had never done it when John was ill. There was probably a good reason for it but Scott obviously had not been in the mood to listen to it. He had a feeling something was bothering his only older sibling but could see now wasn't the time to talk about it.

Scott suddenly felt guilty about how harshly he had spoken to Alan. He had been pretty hard on the kid and maybe he did have a good reason. He decided to call him later and clear the air.

* * *

Scott took a quick fly over the danger zone and knew it was bad. They had been called to a large Industrial estate in England where there had been an explosion. 30 people were still unaccounted for and Scott could already see there was high chance some of them would not be found alive. He found a safe place to land and began unloading Mobile Control. The station officer for the local Fire Brigade soon joined him.

"Boy, am I glad to see you. This fire is out of control and we just don't have the facilities to deal with it," explained the man.

"Have you been able to get any help from other services?" asked Scott, surprised to see such a small amount of fire fighters for such a large fire.

"We have some more crews on their way but there has been an RTC on the main road out here so they are stuck trying to get through and helping out."

Scott suddenly remembered Alan mentioning something about a car crash on his way here so that explained the lack of help. He knew that the Firefly could handle the blaze; it was just a case of locating the missing people. "Any idea what caused the fire or where the missing people are?"

"It was arson and it originated in a body workshop for cars so as you can imagine the place was full of flammable materials. The people who are still unaccounted for all work for the same company and are all trapped in that building," he replied pointing to a large warehouse. "We know that at least 15 people are trapped on the first floor but we just can't get to them. Their only exit is there," he gestured to an area consumed in flames. "The others we believe are in the basement but as to how they are, well I can't say."

Scott nodded and studied the building closely. The Firefly should be able to douse the flames allowing them to rescue those trapped on the first floor. If the foundations were still stable then the Mole should be able to rescue the others.

He then heard the familiar and welcoming sound of Thunderbird 2. She landed gracefully beside her sister ship and his brothers had soon joined him. Scott quickly explained the situation to them and Virgil agreed with his plans to use the Mole and Firefly.

Virgil turned to the Station Officer asking, "Can you and your men, rescue those on the first floor if we put out the fire?"

"Yep," nodded the man.

Virgil was relieved to hear that as it now meant they could concentrate on those trapped in the basement. "Gordon you take the Firefly and douse those flames. John and I will take the Mole and search for the others." Virgil had been reluctant to bring John along but after arriving on the Island and having a nap, John seemed a lot better. He also really wanted to come on the rescue as he hardly ever got the chance. Jeff had relented but only on the condition that John let Virgil know the minute he felt worse.

"FAB," said Gordon and he jogged off to get the Firefly. The station officer then went off as well.

Virgil and John then set off to get the Mole. Scott set up Mobile Control to examine the structure of the building his brothers were about to tunnel into. From here, he could see if there was any sign of weakening. A noise drew his attention to the front of the building and he saw four people stumble out carrying another between them. He raced quickly over to see if he could help but the police and Paramedics beat him to it. As he drew nearer, he could see that it was a young woman who had been carried out and she was no longer alive. His heart sank and he slowly moved back to Mobile Control knowing there was nothing he could do.

"Mole to Mobile Control?"

Scott activated the communicator on Mobile Control so he could speak to his brother. He hadn't even noticed the Mole emerge from Thunderbird 2. "Go ahead."

"We are ready to tunnel and have a possible fix on where the people may be. How many are we looking for?" asked Virgil.

"Just ten. Four have emerged from the building with another who was deceased. The structure is holding but don't take long," replied Scott, trying not to focus on the one death that had already occurred.

"FAB." Virgil signed off and Scott continued to concentrate on the structure of the building.

Scott looked over to where Gordon was and could see that the Firefly had almost put out the fire. The fire Brigade were ready to rescue those trapped as soon as Gordon was done. His attention flicked back to the console and he could see that the structure was still stable but there were hints of weakening to some of the inner supports.

So focussed on making sure that the building wouldn't come down, Scott never heard the approaching the footsteps. He never saw the arm raised, behind him and didn't see the brick headed for his skull until it was too late. His body slumped to the floor but was quickly picked up again and carried away.

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_**So who has attacked Scott and why? How will the boys react when they realize Scott is missing and how many of you want to hurt me for hurting him, hee hee?**_


	3. MIA

**A Sacrifice too Far?**

_**Disclaimer: Please see chapter 1.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews everyone. Even more drama ahead now. Thanks for reading over this Sam, you're a star and thanks for listening to me recently. You too Loopsta, you've been such a sweetie. Love ya both so this for you enjoy.**_

**Chapter 3: MIA**

Virgil waited until the last person was safely belted in and then restarted the Mole. There had only been minor injuries and with a bit of squeezing, everyone was now on board.

"Mole to Mobile Control, come in, Scott?" he called, wanting to make sure it was safe for them to move. He was a little surprised when Scott didn't respond so tried again but still got nothing.

He lifted up his arm and activated the communicator in his watch. "Virgil to Scott." There was still no response and Virgil couldn't fight down the sense of panic that something was wrong. Scott would never ignore them during a rescue especially when he was supposed to be monitoring the structure of a building they were under.

"Can you reach Gordon? Maybe it is just our communications that are down," suggested John, hoping that he was right because he didn't want to consider the idea that something may have happened to Scott.

"Mole to Firefly, come in, Gordon?"

"Go ahead," replied Gordon, instantly proving that their communications were not down.

Fighting down his fears and keeping his voice calm, Virgil asked, "Is the fire out?"

"Yep, the people have been rescued and I am now putting the Firefly to bed. How are you getting on?" asked Gordon, suddenly suspicious that something was going on. Virgil was good at disguising his worries but his eyes could easily give him away and those honeyed brown orbs were filled with worry.

"We have everyone on board and are now about to leave but I can't reach Scott to check the stability of the structure," explained Virgil.

Gordon now understood Virgil's worry and felt the same fear rising inside him but fought it back down. He had to concentrate on the immediate issue of getting his brothers to the surface. "I'll lock the Firefly down then go to Mobile Control and let you know the stability. Call you from there." He quickly signed off and completed the shut down procedures. Making sure the Firefly was secure, he headed out of Thunderbird Two and over to where Mobile Control was situated.

There was no sign of Scott anywhere and as much as he wanted to search for his missing brother, Gordon knew he had to help Virgil first. Checking the scanners, he was relieved to see that structure was still stable though it probably wouldn't hold out too much longer. "Mobile Control to Mole. The structure is stable but I can't see it holding for much longer so no hanging about."

"FAB," replied Virgil, signing off so he could concentrate on getting the large drilling machine to the surface.

Gordon waited until the Mole had safely reached the surface before he jogged off to see if he could find his older brother. He checked with all the ambulance crews, the Fire Brigade and the Police but no one had seen any sign of him. He took a quick check around the area where the fire had been burning in case Scott had seen something but there was still nothing. He jogged back to Mobile Control and his two waiting brothers.

"Where is he, Gords?" asked Virgil.

Gordon replied with the three words that neither of the brothers wanted to hear. "I don't know."

* * *

Awareness slowly returned to Scott but a huge headache and a strong feeling of nausea accompanied it. Closing his eyes, the pain lessened slightly. He tried to raise his hand to his head but couldn't. It was then he realized that his hands were tied behind him. A quick wiggle of his legs confirmed that they were tied too. Opening his eyes again, he realized he was somewhere dark and very cramped. He could hear the sound of an engine and now realized he was lying in the trunk of a car.

"How the hell did I get here?" he asked himself. Racking his brains, all he could remember was being on a rescue. That didn't explain how he had ended up in the trunk with a pain in his head like he had never experienced. It suddenly dawned on the seasoned pilot what had happened. Someone had knocked him out and put him in here. The question now was who and why?

Rubbing his wrists together, Scott could feel that his watch was gone which meant he had no way to let his family know he was okay. He could feel the pull of unconsciousness once more and it was too strong to fight back so he gave in.

* * *

Much as he didn't want to, Virgil knew he needed to contact Alan and tell him the situation. Thunderbird Five might be able to locate Scott's watch. "Mobile Control to Thunderbird Five?"

"Go ahead, Mobile Control," replied Alan, appearing on the small screen before them. If he was wondering why Virgil had called and not Scott then he wasn't giving anything away.

"Alan, can you trace Scott's communicator please?" asked Virgil, keeping his own voice calm.

Alan nodded and began pressing the relevant buttons. A frown quickly appeared on his face. "I can't trace it anywhere. It's either been damaged or destroyed," replied Alan, fear now evident in his eyes. "Where is Scott, Virge?"

"We don't know but we're going to find him," reassured Virgil. He knew now that he had to take charge of this situation. Although, John was next oldest this was a rescue and with Scott missing, he was now in charge. "Al, listen out for any possible news and keep trying to locate his communicator, it may still be working." After Alan had signed off, Virgil turned to his other brothers. "Get the hand held scanners and begin a search of this area. I'm sure the Police and Fire Brigade can help you."

"What are you going to do?" asked Gordon.

"Call Base," replied Virgil and Gordon instantly felt glad he didn't have to do that job. It would certainly not be an easy call to make.

"Do you want me to do that?" asked John. He could only imagine how his Dad would react when he learnt that Scott had disappeared. He also couldn't fight down the slight guilt that he should be the one in charge but if he was honest, he wasn't totally sure what to do. Virgil, on the other hand just seemed to know.

Virgil just shook his head and gave his two brothers a weak smile before jogging off towards Thunderbird Two. This was one chat that needed to be done in private. Virgil took a deep breath and then opened communications with base.

"Go ahead, Virgil," replied Jeff, smiling at his middle son. The smile quickly disappeared when he saw how pale Virgil was. "What's going on?"

"Scott has gone missing," explained Virgil, pausing for a moment to let that sink in and then he continued. "Gordon and John are searching the area with help from the Police and Fire Brigade. We have tried to locate his communicator but can't get any reading on it."

Jeff nodded but said nothing to his son. He was still trying to absorb the fact that his oldest son was missing and possibly seriously hurt or worse. Seeing the fear in Virgil's eyes Jeff knew he had to snap out of this. He needed to be there for his sons. "You have done all the right things, Virgil," he said smiling reassuringly at him. "There is one more thing you need to consider though and that's the possibility that someone has abducted Scott from the site," he added.

"I've been thinking the same thing too," replied Virgil, nodding his head.

"You need to talk to the head of the Police Force here and get them involved."

Virgil nodded again. "I am going to do that now."

"Good and keep me informed of everything that happens," replied Jeff and watched as Virgil signed off. He dropped his head into his hands and took a few deep breaths. His head lifted slightly to look at the portrait of his missing son. "Where are you, Scott?"

* * *

Awareness returned to Scott again and he slowly opened his eyes. He could instantly tell that he was in the same situation as before but at least the car was still moving. Whilst he could hear the hum of the engine, he knew he was safe. His thoughts moved to his family and he wondered if his brothers knew he was missing yet?

Like a stab to the heart, Scott suddenly remembered what he had been doing before being taken. He had been scanning the building his brothers were tunnelling under to make sure it wouldn't collapse on them. What if the building had become unstable whilst he was taken. What if the building had collapsed before they could escape? What if they were trapped underneath it somewhere? What if they were ...? Scott forced himself to stop and take a few deep breaths. He needed to calm down. Freaking out right now was not going to help.

A few more deep breaths and he started to think rationally again or as much as he could with a migraine. He forced himself to think logically. Virgil would have tried contacting him and when he couldn't, he would have called Gordon. Gordon could then have checked for them as he was just about done with the Firefly. They would be okay and he had to believe that. He needed that to keep him going.

It was then his biggest fear was realized, the car had stopped!

* * *

"Given the jobs you do and the fact that we have had no sign of your colleague so far, abduction does look likely," said the Chief Inspector of the Local Police Force.

"Is there any way of finding out if anyone has left the site recently?" asked Virgil.

"I have officers on both exits of the Industrial Estate and another has gone round looking for any other possible escape points."

A female officer then came over to them. "No one has left via the exits without express permission from you and they can all be easily tracked down. There is one possible exit though. At the rear of Solaris' loading dock, a fence has been knocked down and there are signs that a vehicle has driven over it recently. It could be the Arsonist of course," explained the young woman.

Another Police Officer who had been part of the search came over and as he drew level with them said, "He's not here, Sir."

"Gather a few officers and begin talking to people here. See if anyone saw or heard anything. Sergeant Granger I want you to put together a Missing Person's report on him. Get as much detail as you can," replied the Chief Inspector. The female officer nodded and pulled out a notebook. The Chief then walked off towards the Station Officer.

Sergeant Granger then turned to Virgil, "I need you to tell me all about your colleague. Height, weight, hair colour etc...," she said, smiling gently at him.

Virgil quickly reeled off all the information she had asked for. His mind kept going over who could have done this and was Scott okay. He couldn't help but wonder if there was something, he could have done to prevent this. He then noticed that the officer was staring at him worriedly. He shook the thoughts away to concentrate on what she was saying.

"Does he take any medication that has to be taken at certain times like insulin?" Virgil just shook his head.

"Is he wearing any jewellery like a wedding ring or a watch?"

"He had a communicator on like mine but it looks like it has been damaged," replied Virgil, lifting his wrist to show her his own one.

"What about any tattoos, distinguishing marks or scars that would make it easy for us to identify him if he's found unconscious?"

"You mean if he's found dead," replied Gordon, walking over. He and John had only caught her last words but they knew what she meant.

"I can't deny that there is a possibility but there is still a chance it won't come to that especially if this is for ransom. As hard as it may be you need to try and have hope," she replied.

* * *

The trunk opened slowly and Scott flinched at the bright light that flooded in. Fighting down the rising nausea, he opened his eyes to confront the man who had kidnapped him.

"Thought that brick might have knocked you out a little longer," said his captor.

Scott studied the man closely. He looked like a regular guy and not like the type of man who would just kidnap someone. His eyes though were full of anger and Scott knew this man was dangerous. "What are you going to do to me?" he asked.

"Kill you like you killed my wife," he said, dragging Scott out of the car and dumping him on the wet grass.

Scott looked up at the man in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"My wife, the woman you guys failed to save because you were too busy putting out fires," explained the man, his anger becoming stronger. He then put his hand into his jacket and pulled out a gun.

Scott could now see that this was revenge not ransom and that he was going to die. He tried to work out whom the man was talking about and then it hit him. The woman who had been brought out of the building already deceased. She must have been his wife.

Seeing the realization dawn on Scott's face, the man spoke again. "I see you remember her now. You should have been concentrating on saving her and not worrying about the fire. She would be alive now if you had."

Scott was about to answer back and try to explain their decisions when the man cocked the gun and held it close to his face. Scott froze.

"Don't even begin to give me excuses. You failed and now you're going to die but not quickly. Slowly and painfully. I'm going to leave you here all alone to bleed to death," he said, moving away slightly so that gun was no longer pointed directly at Scott's head.

Before Scott could attempt to move or speak, the gun went off and he felt the bullet rip into his leg. If he thought the pain in his head was bad, it was nothing compared to the pain in his leg.

His captor then grabbed him by his tied hands and dragged him down a small embankment to a stream. He shoved Scott into the icy water and stepped back. Scott managed to turn just enough to keep his head out of it and glanced at the man.

"Goodbye, Mr International Rescue," said the man and then he walked back to his car and was gone.

Scott fought desperately against the bonds on his wrists but the rope was knotted too well and he just couldn't get his hands free. He tried to free his legs but the pain was too much and he gave up. The water was icy cold and he knew he wouldn't last long if he stayed there. He had to get out of it. Again, he fought to free his wrists ignoring the burns he was getting from the ropes as he struggled. He just couldn't get them free and he stopped. He really was going to die all alone in the middle of nowhere. He would never get a chance to see his Dad or his brothers again. A solitary tear stole down his cheek as he accepted his fate. The blackness began creeping into his head once more and this time he didn't even try to fight it. With thoughts of his family on his mind, his eyes closed.

* * *

_**So anyone wanna kill me now hee hee. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this Loopsta. **_


	4. Learning the Truth

**A Sacrifice too Far?**

_**Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews everyone. I was so shocked to see I had so many but that's probably because I was so mean to Scott. **_

_**Chapter 4: Learning the Truth.**_

Gordon had been staring around the Industrial Estate when something suddenly caught his eye. "Hey, do you think any of these security cameras are still working?" he asked, pointing specifically at the one closest to where they were and where Scott had been.

"Judging by the severity of the explosion I would think not but it's worth looking into," replied Sergeant Granger. She then moved over to talk to a fellow officer who quickly disappeared.

As she came walking back over, a young boy ran up and grabbed her hand. She looked down and smiled at him. "What are you doing here, Tommy?"

"I know what happened to the Thunderbird man," he replied, shying away slightly from Virgil, John and Gordon.

Sergeant Granger knelt down so she was at eye level with the boy and asked, "Did you see something?"

The boy nodded and John knelt down beside Sergeant Granger. "Can you tell us what you saw?" he asked, smiling at the young boy.

"A man came up behind him. He had a brick and he, uh, he hit him on the head. Then he dragged him away to a car and put him in the boot," explained Tommy.

"Can you remember anything about what the man looked like?" asked John, suddenly feeling more hopeful. At least they knew what had happened to him. The little boy shook his head and John felt his heart sink slightly.

"I bet you can tell me what car he drove though, can't you?" asked the officer.

"Yep, it was the older version of your Police car and it was dark green," replied Tommy, pausing to let her write down the details and then he continued. "The registration was AK06 VNN, oh and the rear brake lights were out."

Sergeant Granger made a call to track the car's owner and Tommy was taken away by his mother, leaving just the boys. They stood for a moment in silence, absorbing the information that Scott had definitely been abducted.

Gordon was the first to break the silence asking, "Do you think he is okay?"

"Well, we know he must at least have a headache if he was knocked out," replied Virgil, trying to downplay how bad it could actually be. If a brick hit him then it could have done serious damage.

Gordon found himself looking towards Thunderbird One and Mobile Control that sat just beneath her. It was all set up as if he would be back any minute and he knew that wasn't going to happen. "I'm going to pack Mobile Control up," he said to his brothers, before quickly walking away.

Virgil and John could see that Gordon needed a couple of minutes alone so they didn't follow him. John rubbed his temples feeling his own headache coming on.

"You okay, John?" asked Virgil.

John thought about lying and claiming that it was nothing but it wasn't worth it. Virgil usually saw through him anyway and his brother already knew he wasn't one hundred percent. "My head's killing me."

"I thought as much," replied Virgil and he pulled some painkillers out of his pocket. "These should help ease it off."

John took the painkillers and smiled gratefully at his younger brother. He should have known that Virgil would be prepared for this. He quickly swallowed them down and thanked his brother.

Suddenly, they heard a loud shout from Gordon and ran to where Mobile Control was. Gordon stood with his back to them staring at the ground just behind Mobile Control. Neither brother could see what he was looking at until they drew level with him. Gordon pointed down at a brick and at first glance, there was nothing unusual about it then Virgil spotted the crimson stain on the edge of it.

"Is that what I think it is?" asked Virgil, his face paling slightly at the sight.

John knelt down and studied it closely. He was careful not to touch it, as he knew the Police would want to analyse it. "It definitely looks like blood but why would he leave it here to be found?" queried John, standing back up again.

"Maybe he didn't think anyone would really notice it. The whole area is strewn with debris," replied Virgil.

"Or maybe he wanted us to find it. He wanted us to know that Scott was hurt," added Gordon, though he also had another theory as to why it had been left. This one he wasn't going to disclose to his brothers. What if the brick was left because it didn't matter if it was found? What if the guy knew that by the time the prints were checked if there were any it would be too late? The man who took Scott could have done it just to kill him and not for any ransom. There were people out there who wanted to see International Rescue gone and what better way than to take out its members. A voice then broke into his thoughts.

"Gords, are you okay?" asked John. He had noticed that his brother seemed to staring off into space but his expression had shown fear.

Gordon masked his fear with a smile and then noticed that Virgil had disappeared. Looking around, he saw that his older brother was talking to the Police. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, looking back at his other brother.

John wasn't sure he believed that but before he could question his brother further, Virgil had come back over with Sergeant Granger.

"We are now sending the brick off for analysis. Hopefully there will be some fingerprints or DNA evidence," explained Sergeant Granger.

"How soon would you be able to get the results back?" asked John.

"If there is anything to find then it may take a while to get the results. They can at least be used to prosecute the man when Scott is found."

"If he's found," muttered Gordon.

"Gordon, don't talk like that," said Virgil, shocked that Gordon could be thinking the worst already. The thought had crossed his own mind but they had to stay positive.

Gordon could feel his temper rising and before he could stop himself he snapped at his older brothers. "Oh come on. We all know there is a good chance he is. I'm no medic but even I know that being hit by a brick is bad. For all we know, he could already be dead."

John walked over to his younger brother and wrapped his arm around him. "Gords, you have to believe that he is alive, it's the only way we can get through this."

"Yeah and it may have only been a glancing blow, enough to knock him out but not do permanent damage," added Virgil, moving to the other side of the Gordon.

Gordon smiled weakly at his two older brothers. Of all his brothers, Virgil and John always seemed to know the right things to say.

* * *

Consciousness crept up on Scott but this time he wasn't so sure he wanted to wake up. He could already feel the pain and icy water clutching at him again. He didn't want to fight anymore; he just wanted to return to the darkness and a place where it didn't hurt.

He closed his eyes trying to forget for a moment where he was and began thinking about the Island. How he wished he could be lying on that beach right now surrounded by his family. His legs felt numb now and that feeling was spreading. Right now, there was one person he wanted most in the world and that was his Dad. How he longed to see his reassuring face before him, hear those words of comfort that only Jeff could say but he wouldn't. He was never going to hear them again and he would never get to say good-bye.

It was then he realized he could hear splashing. Forcing his eyes open, everything seemed blurry but he could make out a large, menacing black shadow approaching him.

* * *

Virgil was just about to contact base and let his Dad know what was going on when Sergeant Granger came jogging over to him. He could see instantly that she had some news.

"We know who took Scott," she said as she drew level with him.

"Who?" asked Virgil, desperate to know who was behind the agony his family were going through? John and Gordon were packing up the rest of their equipment as they both needed to be busy until they knew more. He thought about calling them over but wanted to get all the details first.

"His name is Mike Richards. A colleague of mine actually pulled him over last week for the broken light."

At last, they finally had something to go on. With a name, they could find an address, which could lead on to Scott's location and Virgil could feel his hope rising. He then felt it sink when he looked back at the young Police Sergeant before him. It wasn't hope in her eyes; it was sadness with a hint of fear. "What is it?" he asked.

She took a deep breath before responding. "This isn't a ransom attack, Virgil. This is revenge."

"Revenge for what?" he asked. What the hell had Scott done that warranted this?

"The woman who was pulled out of the building already deceased, was his wife. He apparently was raving to the paramedics that your team was to blame. If you had gone into the building before putting out the fire then she would be alive," she paused for a moment allowing that to sink. "It looks like he wants to make you or more specifically Scott pay for his wife's death."

Virgil felt the fear he had been holding back rise up once more as he took in her words. If this guy was out for revenge then Scott was in serious danger. Gordon's words suddenly seemed prophetic. Now there was a bigger chance that Scott was already dead. He never even saw John or Gordon come back as he was so wrapped up in his thoughts and fears that he had lost his big brother and best friend.

Sergeant Granger explained to John and Gordon what they now knew, then left the three young men to talk. John placed a hand on Virgil's shoulder but he didn't react so he stepped in front of him. "You still with us, bro?" he asked.

The haunted, vacant look that had plagued his face suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced with a mask of false calm. "I better go call Base and let them know what is going on," he said, turning away from them.

John wasn't sure his brother could really handle that job but he also knew that Virgil would never let anyone else do it. He was in charge now and it was his job to keep Base informed. He watched silently as Virgil walked over to Thunderbird Two.

* * *

Scott blinked his eyes and tried to focus on the large black shadow before him. It was then he felt a wet sensation on his nose and he knew what the shape before him was. It was a dog and with a dog came an owner. He felt a little hope rise as the dog began to bark, he was going to be rescued. He could hear a voice calling and he assumed it was the owner. He suddenly felt all that hope sink as the dog began to move away to follow the voice. How could he be this close to being rescued only to have it snatched away again?

Just as he thought it was all over for him, he heard splashing and then the dog appeared before him once more. He wished his hands were free so that he could grab hold of the dog's collar forcing the owner to come to them. As if sensing he needed to stay the dog moved closer and continued barking.

After what seemed like an eternity to Scott, the owner's voice got louder and he could now tell that it was a woman.

"Tyson, where are you?" yelled the voice as she suddenly appeared between the trees. "Oh my god," she added as she saw what had distracted her dog.

She ran over and dropped to her knees beside him. The first thing she noticed was the crimson water surrounding him, which she quickly figured, came from the deep wound to his thigh. It was then she saw the bound limbs and the heavy shivering. "I need to get you out of here," she said, standing back up.

Using all the strength she could muster, she dragged him out of the stream and onto the wet grass. She then tried to undo the ropes but the knots were so wet and tight from Scott's struggling that she couldn't.

Scott gazed up at his rescuer but she was still blurry and even though he was out of the water, he felt even colder. The numbness had now spread up to his chest and he still wasn't sure if he would make it. He could see her stand up and pull something out of her pocket, which he hoped was a phone.

The young woman knelt back down beside the man, taking off her coat as she did so and laid it over him. She then pulled off her scarf and tied it tightly around his leg to help stem the bleeding and protect the wound.

Her attention then turned to the man's face. His eyes were open but they were glazed and unfocussed. "Can you hear me?" she asked and he nodded wearily.

"I'm not going to ask if you're okay as I know you're not but I have called for help and they will be here really soon," she said trying to reassure the man. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked, still fighting to undo the ropes around his wrists.

"S-scott," he said slowly. He could only pick up bits of what she was saying to him but he knew she asked his name. Even though he had no idea who the young woman before him was, he couldn't deny how relieved he was to see her. He was no longer alone and maybe he could last until help arrived. His thoughts moved back to his family and how much he wanted to see them.

The young woman continued talking reassuringly to Scott, hoping to keep him awake and desperately fighting to get the ropes off him. She could see that his wrists were raw and bleeding from his own attempts to remove them. It had started to rain again and she could feel her top beginning to stick to her back but she wasn't going to take her coat back.

He had begun to mumble now but it was incoherent. All she could understand was he felt guilty about someone named Alan.

She then noticed the sleeve of his top and realized it looked more like a uniform of some sort. Lifting his coat up gently, she noticed a torn sash across his chest with a familiar logo. It was known the world over as the symbol for hope, the icon for International Rescue. However, this man couldn't be one of them; it had to be a costume didn't it? Why would a Thunderbird be lying in a stream in the middle of nowhere? It was then she noticed he had gone quiet and his eyes were shut.

"Scott, you still with me?" she asked touching his face gently. It was so cold but she could tell he still breathing. A welcoming sound was approaching and soon she saw blue lights roaring up. A Police car appeared first but she could tell that an ambulance wasn't far behind.

The Police Officer jumped out and jogged over. "Is he still alive?"

"Yeah but he's in a bad way," she replied as the officer knelt down beside the man. He then jumped up and grabbed his radio. "We got him. Tell the guys from International Rescue, he has been found and will be off to Dereham Memorial Hospital."

"That's not a costume? He really is a member of International Rescue?" she asked and the officer nodded. She staggered back slightly at the realization of who she had just rescued. "Uh, what was he doing out here?"

Before the man could respond, the ambulance roared into view and the Paramedics had soon come over. They quickly checked Scott's vital signs and one went to get a stretcher.

"Looks like we got a gunshot wound and a blow to the head," said the Paramedic as she gently removed the scarf from Scott's leg.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked the young woman.

"It's too early to say but it doesn't look good. His pulse is weak and he has lost a lot of blood," she replied.

Scott was soon lifted onto the stretcher and into the rear of the ambulance. The doors were soon shut and the ambulance raced off, sirens blazing as Scott's vital signs dropped once more.

* * *

_**Poor Scott, he has finally been rescued but can he last until he reaches the hospital. Thanks for reading everyone. Love ya.**_


	5. The Long Wait

**A Sacrifice Too Far?**

_**Disclaimer: Please see Chapter 1.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews everyone. Sorry this has taken so long but I was ill and then had a car accident which was really painful but enough moaning from me, you want the story and here it is. I want to say thanks to Sam for reading this over to me, sorry my grammar is so atrocious. Oh and a big thanks to Loopsta for making me see sense recently. You are amazing honey. Love you two.**_

_**Chapter 5: The Long Wait.**_

Sergeant Granger sprinted from one side of the Industrial Estate to the other where Thunderbird Two stood. She reached it just as Virgil and John came out of the huge green machine. Panting slightly, she smiled at the young men. "We've found Scott and he's alive," she said.

Virgil wanted to hug the young woman before him but fought back the urge wondering if it might get him arrested. As if sensing something had happened, Gordon came walking over. He had been talking to the Chief of the Fire Brigade.

"He's alive, Gords," said John, a relieved smile gracing his face.

"Really?" asked Gordon, turning to look at Sergeant Granger. Although he trusted his brothers, he just needed her to confirm it. She gave a slight smile and nodded.

"Is he hurt?" asked John, realizing that she hadn't mentioned what condition he was in.

"We don't know the full details yet but it looks like he was shot in the leg. He is now on his way to Dereham Memorial Hospital."

Virgil's heart had stopped when she had said he was shot but he felt a little relief when she said where. A bullet to the leg wasn't fatal as long as he hadn't lost too much blood. Virgil's mind began to fill with all the worst-case scenarios and he suddenly wished he wasn't medically trained. It would be so much easier. Shaking the thoughts away, he concentrated on the fact that Scott was alive. He had something much more important to do. He turned to his brothers and said, "I gotta call Base." He then headed back into Thunderbird Two. This time both John and Gordon followed him in. Sergeant Granger decided to find out if there was any more information about their comrade.

"Reading you loud and clear, Virgil. Do you have any more information?" asked Jeff, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

"Scott has been found, Dad. He's hurt but he's alive and on his way to a local hospital," said Virgil, watching as the worry lessened in his father's eyes. He knew it wouldn't disappear completely until he could see his son himself and know he was okay.

Jeff nodded in understanding at his middle son. He knew it wasn't over yet as Scott had been taken to hospital but at, least if nothing else he had been found. Jeff could see Virgil was waiting for instructions on what to do. As much as his three sons would all want to go to Scott, the Thunderbirds had to be brought home first. "I want you to go to the hospital whilst John and Gordon bring home Thunderbirds One and Two. We will then all fly over to you."

"What about Alan?" asked Gordon. He and John had stayed back just listening.

"Brains and Tintin have offered to go get him from Thunderbird Three and will then bring him to us later. International Rescue is off-line for the time being."

"You're gonna make Brains fly him here right?" queried Gordon, knowing that Alan would be dangerous in a cockpit right now.

"Yes, Gordon. I haven't gone senile yet," replied Jeff and he smiled for the first time since they had left. Gordon couldn't help but grin back at him. He then noticed his brothers were grinning too and that one comment had brought them all a little light-hearted relief just for a moment.

* * *

Alan paced up and down Thunderbird Five as he waited for news on his oldest brother. He thought back over his last words to Scott and realized he couldn't remember them. He did remember though that he had never said goodbye to Scott so those missing words were probably bad. How could he have behaved so stupidly? If something happened to Scott, he would never get the chance to apologise for being a jerk. He could feel the tears pooling in his eyes but he fought them back. He was a Tracy and they didn't show their emotions like that, even if they were up in space, miles away from anyone else.

An alarm halted his pacing and he raced to the main console. The call was from Base and hopefully it would be news. "Go ahead, Base," he said quickly.

"Switch Thunderbird Five to auto, Brains and Tintin are on their way to get you. Scott has been found," explained Jeff.

"Is he okay?" asked Alan. He wanted to look away from his father as he spoke his next words in case he was going to see the look that said Scott was gone. He didn't though; he forced himself to face him.

"He's been hurt but he's still alive. John and Gordon are bringing the Thunderbirds back and will then fly to England with me. When you get down from Five, Brains will fly you to us in England. And when I say Brains will fly, I mean it," replied Jeff, his tone becoming firm towards the end.

As much as Alan wanted to argue, knowing how slowly Brains flew he kept his mouth shut. His Father's tone told him it would only make things worse and would probably end up with him stuck up here instead. "F-A-B, Dad." He signed off and began the procedure to switch Thunderbird Five to autopilot. He was so relieved to know that Scott was alive and now he would get the chance to apologise to him. He just wished he didn't have to wait for Brains and Tintin to arrive. If only Thunderbird Five had the capability to fly home. A slight grin appeared on his face as he wondered what Brains would think of that idea. The scientist loved improving on his designs but that might be a little too far fetched. His thoughts moved to his other brothers. How were they all holding up especially John, as he was ill when they left? Had he got worse? He decided to contact Gordon in Thunderbird Two and find out. He pressed the necessary buttons to contact the largest of the Thunderbird fleet.

"Go ahead," replied Gordon, who looked thoroughly worn out but would never admit it.

"Just wanted to see how you and John were holding up," replied Alan.

"Yeah, we're okay. Just wanna get rid of these machines so we can get back to Scott," admitted Gordon. It seemed as if this journey was taking forever. John was no doubt thinking the same thing especially as he was keeping pace with Thunderbird Two.

"I'm not sure Virge or Scott would like you referring to their babies like that," said Alan, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. A similar one crossed Gordon's face too.

"Hey, it could have been worse," retorted Gordon, a grin now appearing on his face.

Alan nodded and then saw that Thunderbird Three was trying to get through to him. "I gotta go now. You take it easy and don't scratch that giant green monstrosity or Virge will kill you."

Gordon shook his head at his brother for his comment about Virgil's baby and plotted to remember that for later. He signed off and prepared for landing.

* * *

Virgil paced up and down the waiting room unable to just sit there. A doctor had come out a while ago to say that Scott was undergoing surgery but it was touch and go. He knew that Sergeant Granger was still in the hospital somewhere. She was trying to find out exactly what happened and how he was rescued. He was in a private waiting room far away from the main one in case the press discovered they were here. That was the story they told him though Virgil got the feeling it was more because they knew they wouldn't have good news. He could tell that the doctor was not optimistic about Scott's chances and that scared him more then he ever thought it would.

Suddenly unable to stand anymore, Virgil sank down onto the closest chair. He couldn't even begin to contemplate what would happen to his family if Scott didn't pull through. After their Mom had died, Scott had held the family together and even now, he still did that. With this job, there had always been the risk of one of them dying but it was supposed to be on duty, saving lives. It wasn't supposed to all alone in the middle of nowhere. Scott didn't deserve that.

Therefore, wrapped up in his thoughts, Virgil never heard the door open or the person enter. This allowed them a few moments to study him. He looked pale and completely wiped out but that was to be expected judging by the events of the last few hours. It was clear that this young man cared deeply for Scott in a way that suggested to her that they were brothers as opposed to just friends. She walked up to the young man and touched him gently on the shoulder.

Virgil looked up to see Sergeant Granger standing beside him. "Sorry, I didn't even hear you come in. Is everything okay?"

"I think I should be asking you that," she replied, smiling softly at him.

"I haven't heard anything yet. He is still in surgery. Any news on the man who abducted him yet?"

"His car was found abandoned in a field so it's being sent off to forensics. There has been no sign of him yet but we are still looking for him so don't give up hope.

Virgil nodded but knew there was still a chance he might never be found. It made him angry that someone could do this to them and then get away with it. All they were trying to do was help people and this was the payback. Suddenly he could understand Scott's earlier thoughts about whether it was really worth it. His mind was brought back to the present again when Sergeant Granger's radio began to crackle. He couldn't hear what was said but he could tell that she could.

When it stopped, she turned to him saying, "I have to go find the Chief Sergeant now. As soon as we hear anymore, I will let you know. Are you okay here?" she asked, feeling a little sad that the young man was all on his own.

"Thanks and I will be fine. Scott's family are on their way," he replied being careful to make sure he gave the impression that they were Scott's family and not his. Their identity still needed to remain a secret even under these circumstances.

Just as Sergeant Granger reached the door, Virgil called out to her. "Who found Scott?" he asked suddenly remembering that someone was responsible for the return of his older brother.

"Well it was a dog technically but its owner was the one who called 999 and looked after him until help arrived," she replied, turning back to face him.

"Who was the owner?" asked Virgil. He wanted to thank them for giving him his oldest brother and his best friend back to him. He knew his Dad and probably the rest of his family would as well.

Sergeant Granger reached out and took hold of the door handle before responding. She had a feeling that the young man was not going to like her answer. "I can't tell you that, I'm afraid. She asked to remain anonymous."

"What?" questioned Virgil. Why on earth wouldn't she want them to know who she was? Surely, she must realize that they would want to thank her.

Before anything, more could be said Sergeant Granger pulled open the door allowing Jeff, John and Gordon to enter the room. She then quickly moved through it and into the corridor before Virgil could notice she had gone.

"How is he?" asked Jeff, hugging his middle son tight. He had noticed the young police officer leave so he knew he was safe to do it.

"All they have told me is that he is in surgery but I know that he was shot in the thigh and suffered a head injury," replied Virgil, glancing over at his brothers to make sure they were okay. John looked pale but under the circumstances, he couldn't blame him though so he decided to keep an eye on him anyway.

Jeff released his son and took a seat in the waiting room and his sons soon copied him. John kept glancing out of the window, watching as the sun set. It didn't seem to matter what happened in the world, the sun still rose and set every day. It was something he missed when he was on Thunderbird Five so he often got up early when he was on the island just to watch the sunrise over him. His mind couldn't help but wonder whether his brother would ever see it again. His head began to pound once more and he rubbed his temples wishing the pain would stop. He had been feeling worse over the last couple of hours but was trying to keep it from his family, as they didn't need anymore stress.

The door on the opposite side of the room opened and a young doctor came through. Virgil instantly recognised him as the one who had spoken to him earlier. He quickly stood up as his Father did. "This is Scott's father," he said before anyone else could speak.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Murray and I have been looking after your son," he replied.

"How is he?"

"Well, the next twenty-four hours will be critical but he is stable. Your son was shot in the thigh and the bullet nicked an artery but we managed to fix that. He lost a lot of blood but not as much as he could have done," explained the doctor but was interrupted before he could continue.

"Could have done?" queried Gordon, having no idea what the doctor meant.

"Scott was found in a stream meaning that although he was suffering from the early stages of hypothermia, the cold water actually slowed down the bleeding. It was enough to get him here to us. He does also have some bruises and a nasty bump to the back of his head but it's not serious."

"If they find that creep, I'm going to kill him," said Virgil, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

"I'll help," muttered Gordon, ignoring the look his Father threw at him.

John remained silent but agreed whole-heartedly with his brothers. His head was beginning to spin and he knew he needed to sit down before he fell down. The last thing they needed was for him to collapse. As the doctor began to speak again, John took the opportunity to sink into a chair whilst no one was watching him.

"When can we see him?" asked Jeff, desperately needing to see for himself that his oldest son was okay.

"As soon as he is out of recovery you can. I will get a nurse to take you as soon as he is settled," replied the doctor and then he spoke again. "Your son's identity will remain a secret known only by the paramedics and me. To everyone else he will just be a regular patient. I cannot guarantee though that the press won't find out that a member of International Rescue was here but we won't let them find out whom."

"Thank you," said Jeff and Virgil almost simultaneously.

The doctor nodded and then walked briskly out of the room. Virgil then noticed that John was slumped in a chair and seemed a little dazed. "Are you okay there?" he asked, kneeling down in front of the stargazer.

"Yeah, just been a long day," lied John. He forced a smile to his face in an effort to reassure his family but he could see that Virgil didn't totally buy it. Luckily, his brother was distracted by the arrival of a Paramedic.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but I wasn't sure if you wanted this back," explained the young woman, holding out a bundle.

As Jeff moved closer, he realized that the bundle was in fact his son's uniform. It had been folded neatly but it couldn't disguise the awful state it was in.

"I know it's no use anymore but I thought it might be safer with you. There are too many who would make money off it and that's not right," she added seeing Jeff's reluctance to take it.

Gordon jumped up and took the bundle from her hands. "Thanks," replied Gordon, smiling at the young woman. The top layer was torn and muddy but there was no sign of blood. Gordon could see that it had been cleverly folded away.

"Well, I have an ambulance to clean so I'll leave you but I'm glad he is okay. You guys do some amazing work," she said and then quickly left the room as her radio crackled into life.

Gordon stared down at the torn uniform that was still pretty damp and then gently laid it down on a chair. He wanted to keep the worst of the damage hidden.

The door opened again and this time a nurse came in. "Would you like to see Scott?" she asked, smiling as the four men all nodded their heads. "Come with me then and I will take you to his room," she added and moved back towards the door.

The family stood up and followed the nurse down the corridor. It seemed surprisingly empty given the business of the main reception.

"Scott has been given his own room and it's at the end of the corridor. We also have a security guard on this floor so I will need to issue you all with passes. Do you have any other family who will want to see him?" she asked as they continued walking.

"Yes, I do," replied Jeff.

"Once you have seen your son, we'll sort out all the paperwork."

Jeff was relieved to know that he could see his son before dealing with all the other stuff. His pace quickened as they drew near the last door. He could sense the apprehension in his sons too. They were all desperate to see Scott.

The nurse opened the door and entered the room. Jeff took a deep breath before following her in. His eyes went straight over to the bed and his son. He quickly approached and took hold of his son's hand. He was surprised by just cold it felt. John, Virgil and Gordon surrounded the bed and looked down at their fallen brother. Apart from the pale skin and the bandage to his head, Scott looked just like he was asleep. The sheets had covered up the injury to his leg.

"He's going to have that IV out the minute he wakes up," commented Gordon, knowing how much his oldest brother hated them.

"He can try," muttered the nurse and Gordon could see instantly that she would keep his brother in line. He grinned and noticed a similar one on John's face. Virgil was looking more angry then anything and it worried Gordon a little. He had expected to see worry not anger. Before he could ask his older brother what was wrong, Virgil stepped away from the bed.

"Scott was right, this isn't worth it," he said angrily and stormed out of the room.

The other three looked at each other not understanding what Virgil was talking about. As much as Jeff didn't want to leave his oldest son, he knew he needed to talk to Virgil. It was unlike him to just storm off like that so something must be really bothering the artist. "I'm going to make sure he is okay. Will you be alright here?" he asked, turning to his other sons.

Gordon rolled his eyes at his Father. "Yeah, Dad. I think we can handle Scott for a little while," he retorted with a smirk and then softened it before adding, "You just sort Virge out."

Jeff smiled at his water-loving son and headed out of the door. He didn't notice that John was struggling to stay upright or that he had lost the little colour that was in his face.

Gordon, however, did but not in enough time to catch John as he collapsed. "John," yelled Gordon, racing over to his now unconscious brother.

* * *

_**So Virgil has stormed off in anger taking Jeff with him and now Gordon has to deal with an unconscious John. What will happen next? Find out soon if over-smothering brothers don't ban me from the comp.**_


	6. A Reunion

**A Sacrifice too Far?**

_**Disclaimer: Nope six chapters in and they still don't belong to me. **_

_**Thanks for the reviews all. I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update but life has just been so crazy lately. This chapter is a very belated birthday present to Loopsta, enjoy honey.**_

* * *

_**Chapter 6: A Reunion.**_

Jeff approached the Nurse's station unsure of which direction his son had taken. There was a door ahead, which seemed to lead to some stairs, there was a bank of elevators to his right and to his left there was another door.

"Angry man with brown hair?" questioned a voice. Jeff turned to see a nurse behind the desk and nodded. "He went down the stairs and I would guess to the garden at the bottom," she replied.

"Thanks," replied Jeff, smiling at her and then headed towards the doors to the stairs.

As he jogged down the stairs, he thought about his middle son and the words he had uttered before storming out. As Jeff reached the bottom step, he knew what Virgil had meant. Opening the door he could see that the sun had finally set but the moon was full and shining down on the garden. It seemed so peaceful and tranquil here after the bustle of the hospital. He approached Virgil who stood close to a small fountain.

Virgil sensed rather then heard his father's presence. He had been expecting at least one of them to come down but assumed it would be John. "You should be with Scott," he muttered, keeping his attention focused away from his father.

"He has your brothers to look after him. My place is here with you," replied Jeff.

Virgil made no reply to this and Jeff could see that this could be a hard conversation. "I wondered how long it would take Scott to question International Rescue," he said not surprised when Virgil swung round to look at him. "It was only a matter of time. The rest of you all have at some point or another," he added.

"Really?" questioned Virgil. He could understand John and he knew he had himself but Alan and Gordon. They had always seemed so sure of the good work that International Rescue did.

"Well, John questioned the worth of what you do a couple of years ago. It was after a long week of rescues and a young girl had called him asking for help. She was trapped in the basement of her house after an earthquake hit her town," explained Jeff.

"I remember that now, John stayed in touch with her as she was all alone but she died before we could reach her," said Virgil softly. That had been hard for all of them but it had hit John the hardest, as he had been the last person to ever talk to her.

"It was Scott that finally got through to John in the same way that he did to you," replied Jeff, knowing that Scott had helped both his brothers to see the worth of what they did.

Virgil thought back to his own moment of doubt. It had been in the early days of International Rescue when they were still just getting used to it all. It was their first rescue where more had died then they were able to save. He had found it so hard that night to really see the point in what they did but Scott helped him through that. He had reminded Virgil about all the lives they had saved and would go on to save. Virgil wondered about his other two brothers and what had caused them to doubt it.

Jeff seemed to sense what his son was thinking and answered the question before it was asked. "Alan doubted it all after he and your Grandmother were stuck on the San Miguel Bridge. He couldn't accept that even International Rescue was unable to stop what had happened to them."

"But there was nothing we could have done. No one had any idea that Victor Gomez would do anything so stupid," replied Virgil. He could still remember seeing Alan about to fall off that bridge. They had literally got there just in time. A fellow driver had gone after Alan and their Grandmother. He had forced them onto the bridge leaving them with a bomb beneath them, activated by either movement or when the time ran out.

"That's true but it took your brother a long time to accept that."

"Who got through to him in the end? Was it Gordon?" asked Virgil. He had a pretty good idea it wasn't Scott as he was guilt ridden from that day too but he seemed to get over it. However, now Virgil was beginning to wonder if his brother truly had dealt with that guilt.

"Nope it was me but more by default than anything else," Jeff replied then off Virgil's confused look added, "I found him on the beach." Jeff's mind instantly remembered hearing his son angrily yelling at the sky then falling to the sand, tears streaming from his eyes. They had sat on the beach for hours talking things through but in the end, Jeff got through to his youngest son.

"And Gordon?" queried Virgil, bringing Jeff back to the present.

Jeff took a deep breath before answering. "It was because of you, Son," he said gently.

If Virgil had felt shocked before then it was nothing compared to how he felt now. "Me?"

"It was when you were shot down by the Sentinel. It killed your brother being stuck on the Island unable to help you. It was the first time he ever truly felt helpless as we waited for you to land," explained Jeff. He understood his son's helplessness as that was how he felt whenever something had happened to the boys whilst on a rescue. For Gordon this had been the first time he had been stuck on the Island waiting for them to return. Alan had at least some understanding of this from being on Thunderbird Five but Gordon didn't.

"I guess then having to travel on the Sentinel didn't help much either," replied Virgil, his own mind going back to that day. He could still remember seeing those missiles coming straight at him and knowing he couldn't escape.

"No, it didn't but your brother did me proud by not losing it. His break down happened later that night, long after the rest of us were in bed."

Virgil knew instantly that Gordon's break down would have begun in the pool. He would have swum furiously up and down until he could swim no more then climbed out and collapsed on the edge. Something his Father had said suddenly came back to him. "Was he all alone?"

"No, because I knew it was coming and was just waiting for the splash," replied Jeff but he didn't say anymore. He knew Gordon wouldn't want his brothers to know how badly it had affected him.

They moved over to a nearby bench and sat down. Virgil gazed up at the star lit sky and sighed. Jeff could see that his son was still very troubled by his brother's doubt. Before Jeff could reassure his son, Virgil spoke.

"Scott's right though, it's not worth all the sacrifices."

"Do you really believe that, Virgil? Are all the lives you have saved since International Rescue begun not worth it?" asked Jeff, realizing this was going to be even harder then he thought.

Virgil turned away from his father before responding. "Of course they are, Dad but look at today. Scott was kidnapped, shot, and almost died because of what we do."

"There was always a risk that one of you could be hurt doing the job that you do," replied Jeff, placing his hand on his son's shoulder.

Virgil shrugged him off and stood up. "Yeah, during a rescue not at the hands of a psycho with a gun."

"He's still with us though. I know you all had to make many sacrifices when you agreed to join like giving up promising careers and friends," admitted Jeff. It hadn't been an easy decision to use his family to operate his creation but he knew they were perfect for it.

"And love," muttered Virgil.

"You were in love?" questioned Jeff.

Virgil turned back to look at him, shaking his head. "Not me."

"Scott was in love?" he questioned but before Virgil could answer, he spoke again. "That explains a lot," he added but didn't elaborate further.

"Explains what?" queried Virgil, having no clue what his Father was on about.

"There's something Scott and I haven't told you. When I first came up with International Rescue and realized it was actually a possibility. I had second thoughts, could I really ask you boys to risk your lives for strangers. I decided to talk to Scott first and see what he thought," Jeff paused allowing Virgil to take in everything he had just said.

"What did he say?" asked Virgil still feeling confused.

"He said it was an amazing idea and he could see all the benefits to it but he also said he needed time to think. I have to admit that I was a little surprised. I assumed Scott would jump at the chance especially after seeing his face when he saw the sketches for Thunderbird One. I just wrote it off as reluctance to leave his job and life behind," explained Jeff.

Virgil understood now and he could also see the bigger reason for Scott's reluctance. "You're wondering if Emma was the real reason now aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. Could she also be responsible for his doubts now as well?" he asked, realizing that Virgil had brought up love for a reason.

"Scott received a letter from Emma's sister announcing that she was getting married but still loved Scott. She told him to come and stop it if he still loved her," explained Virgil, sitting back down on the bench.

"Why didn't he say anything about the letter?" asked Jeff. He was beginning to realize that he knew less about his oldest son then he thought he did.

"He didn't get it in time. She was already married by the time he read it."

Jeff nodded in understanding. It wasn't uncommon for mail to arrive late on the Island; he had missed many important letters because of it. "Did he still have feelings for her?"

Virgil hesitated and thought it over for a moment. He had sounded like it the other night but was that how he actually felt? "I think he thinks he does," he replied, finally.

"You don't?" queried Jeff, knowing that Virgil was the one most likely to know how Scott felt. Those two were so close and connected.

"I'm not sure. It's been a long time since they last saw each other and people can change. Plus the letter came from her sister so it doesn't mean she actually does still love Scott."

Before anything more could be said, Jeff's watch began to bleep. He activated the screen to see Gordon's face before him. His son looked pale and very worried. Before he could speak, though Gordon interrupted him.

"Dad, you gotta get up here now, we have a problem."

"On our way," replied Jeff, ending the transmission. He didn't want to waste valuable time asking what was wrong. His son's face was enough to tell him it was bad.

* * *

Gordon paced up and down beside his brother's bed watching the doctors and nurses work on John. Luckily, there had been a spare bed in Scott's room so they hadn't had to take John away. He didn't know what was wrong with his brother but it was clearly more serious than he had first thought. He had hesitated from calling his Dad in case John had just fainted. He knew his older brother would have hated everyone making a fuss because he had just fainted. However, when John refused to wake up and the nurse who was with them raced out for a Doctor, Gordon knew it was serious. Once they had him on the bed, he had called his Dad. His eyes dropped to the floor where his star gazing old brother had fallen. His skin had been so pale and just for a moment, Gordon had honestly thought he was dead. He staggered back at the thought of losing two brothers in one day. Suddenly, he felt something hit the back of his legs and a firm hand push him down into it. He realized that a chair had been pushed behind him and a nurse now stood before him.

"Don't you go passing out on me, too. I only have two beds in here," she said, kneeling down in front of him.

Gordon took a few deep breaths and looked up at her. "I'm okay now."

"Are you okay to answer a few questions about your brother?" she asked. Gordon nodded and glanced over at the brother in question. "Has he been ill over the last couple of days?"

"Yeah, he has been," replied Gordon, wondering how long John had actually been ill before he was brought down. He hadn't looked great all day really but John always looked pale so it wasn't always easy to see the difference. Gordon suddenly felt guilty for not realizing that his brother wasn't as well as he had claimed. They should never have let him go on the rescue.

"Do you know when he last had anything to eat or drink and has he taken anything at all to ease the symptoms?" she asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"He hasn't eaten since this morning and he had a bottle of water earlier but I never saw him drink it. He took some painkillers a few hours ago but that's all I know," he replied, wishing he had paid more attention to John. He was being completely useless.

The door suddenly opened and in walked Jeff and Virgil. They instantly came over to Gordon and then noticed there was a face missing. Virgil was the first to realize that the other bed was now occupied.

"What's wrong with John?" he asked, turning back to look at his younger brother.

Jeff then noticed that it was John lying in the bed and walked over. Virgil and Gordon quickly followed him. Jeff turned to the Doctor who was standing at his son's bed asking, "What's wrong with my son?"

"He is seriously dehydrated which is what caused him to pass out. It looks like he has been suffering from a virus, which caused the dehydration so we are pumping fluids into him. He is also running a fever so we have given him something to bring that down as well," explained the doctor. He then saw the worried look on their faces and quickly added. "He is going to be fine though. By tomorrow morning he should be feeling a lot better."

Jeff couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as the Doctor walked over to the nurse. He couldn't believe he now had two sons in the hospital, thankfully, John wasn't seriously ill but he still shouldn't be there. He glanced over at his other two sons and caught Gordon yawning. He could see that both of them looked exhausted and clearly needed a few hours sleep.

"You know there is a hotel just a two minute walk from here," said a voice and Jeff turned to see the nurse standing just behind him.

"Boys, I want you to go to that hotel and get a few hours rest," he said, smiling at the young nurse.

"But Dad….," began Virgil before he was interrupted.

"No buts just go. You both need sleep or you will end up in a bed like your brothers. I promise if there is any news I will call you."

"Okay Dad," replied Gordon before Virgil could argue anymore. As much as Gordon didn't want to leave his brothers here, he knew he needed to. Virgil looked just as exhausted as he felt and he knew his Dad couldn't take any more of them getting ill.

"Make sure you have something to eat then, Dad," said Virgil, knowing it would be futile to argue back.

"You, too," replied Jeff, smiling at his sons.

With a reluctant look at both of his brothers, Virgil walked to the door. Gordon wandered over to John and whispered something before following his brother out the door. Jeff placed a seat between both beds and sat down. His thoughts moved to Lucy, "Thank you for looking after them and bringing Scott back to us," he whispered softly.

* * *

John awoke to find himself in a strange bed, in a room he didn't recognize. It looked like a hospital but what was he doing in a hospital. It was then he remembered the previous day and his eyes quickly focused on the other bed in the room. His only older brother lay peacefully on the bed and he felt relieved. He then spotted his Dad sat on a chair between them, watching Scott. "Dad," he croaked out, wondering why his voice suddenly sounded so hoarse.

Jeff spun round to see groggy blue eyes looking at him and he smiled. "How are you feeling son?" he asked.

"Okay, I think. Why am I in a hospital bed?" he asked.

"You collapsed yesterday because you were very dehydrated," replied Jeff before adding. "You should have said you weren't feeling right."

John looked guiltily at his father. "I'm sorry, Dad but I didn't want to stress you out any further. Guess I did that anyway."

"Well, you certainly scared Gordon."

"Who scared me?" called a familiar voice from the doorway. John looked up to see his youngest brothers entering the room. Alan was with them too now, having finally arrived.

"I did apparently," replied John, smiling at them all.

"Nah, I thought you were just trying to steal Scott's thunder," retorted Gordon, with his trademark grin.

Alan walked over and gave his big brother a hug. He had been so worried when he had heard that John was ill too so, it was a relief to see him smiling.

"How are you feeling, John?" asked Virgil.

"I feel okay well actually I feel a little hungry," he admitted, trying to remember the last time he had actually eaten something.

The nurse who had remained quiet in the background suddenly came up to the bed. "Do you feel dizzy or nauseous at all?" she asked, checking his chart and then his vital signs.

"Nope just hungry," he replied.

"Have the rest of you eaten yet?" she asked, turning to the others already knowing that Jeff hadn't. He hadn't left his sons bedsides all night and she could imagine that he needed a little break from it. They all shook their heads at her. "Well, why don't you all go down to the café on the ground floor and have some breakfast. That includes you John as long as you behave yourself and come straight back up here afterwards," she said giving him a stern look.

John nodded in agreement but Jeff looked very reluctant to leave his oldest son alone. "Perhaps I should stay here," he said and was met with the same stern look.

"Scott will be fine and I can soon page you if anything changes. You all need to eat and trust me the food down there is much nicer then it is up here."

"Come on, Dad. You know better than to argue with a woman in uniform," said Gordon with a cheeky grin.

Jeff finally relented and the family all left. The nurse looked down at her patient and sighed. "Why do I get the feeling you are just as bad as them?"

"Nurse Fisher to Room Three, Nurse Fisher to room Three," came a voice over the speaker system and she stood up. "What now," she muttered before leaving the room. Normally, she wouldn't leave her patient but there was urgency in the voice that said she had to. What she didn't notice as she ran off were two people in the corridor. One hovered in the background whereas the other approached the room she had just left.

The door opened and the figure entered. They stopped at the foot of the bed and studied the young man before them. He looked much better than the last time she had seen him. He seemed to resting peacefully now and that was all she needed to know.

"Get better soon," she said softly and turned to the door, not noticing the flickering eyes of the patient. As she reached the door, a voice called out to her.

"Who are you?" it asked and she turned round to see the young man watching her.

"I'm, um, uh, well it doesn't really matter. I need to be going now, bye," she said quickly, grabbing hold of the door handle.

"Wait. You're the one who saved my life aren't you?" asked Scott, suddenly realizing who was trying to leave. He recognized the voice that had offered him comfort when he thought he was going to die. The young woman just nodded at him but didn't move. "Don't leave. I don't even know your name yet. At least give me a chance to say thanks," he asked, hoping she would stay.

After a short pause, the young woman turned round and approached the bed. "My name is Kate and you don't need to thank me. I was just doing what any good person would do," she replied.

"I'm not so sure about that," muttered Scott. Lately people just didn't seem to care anymore.

"Well, it was actually my dog that found you but there was no way I could leave you like that. I have to admit though I thought you were in fancy dress. It wasn't until the Police arrived that I realized you really were a member of International Rescue."

"I remember your dog. It was a big and black one and I remember being licked," he said as his mind went back over those moments of realizing he wasn't going to die.

"Yeah, she does that a lot," replied the young woman.

Neither had noticed a man approaching the door or the handle slowly turning. Suddenly, the door swung open with enough force it smashed against the wall and a man ran in. He grabbed hold of Kate and forced a knife to her throat before turning his attention to Scott.

"Make any moves and she is dead," he said angrily and Scott recognized the voice of the man who had shot him. "Push the call button onto the floor now," added the man.

Scott complied knowing that the man could slit the young woman's throat long before anyone could get to them.

The man then dragged the woman backwards so that he could shut the door and then pushed her towards Scott again.

"We are all alone now and this time you are not getting out alive," he said, glaring at Scott. "Neither is she as she is the one responsible for getting you here."

"No, she isn't," replied Scott quickly, wanting to do something to save her life.

"So who is she then?" he asked, pressing the knife tighter on her throat causing a trickle of blood to run down her neck.

"She's my girlfriend. She had nothing to do with me getting here so you can let her go," he replied, hoping this would work. He knew she had to be someone close to him or this knife-wielding maniac would never buy it.

* * *

_**But will he? Has Scott saved her or just condemned her to death too. Will the rest of the family make it back up in time or can Scott save his own life? Find out soon, I swear I will try to update quicker. Thanks for reading.**_


	7. The Final Showdown

_**A Sacrifice Too Far?**_

_**Disclaimer: Please see previous chapter.**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews. You guys are so good to me. Thanks again to Sam1 for beta reading this, you're the best.**_

_**Chapter 7: The Final Showdown.**_

Alan sat down at the table and glanced around at his family well everyone bar Scott. Tintin and Brains had stayed at the hotel wanting to give the family some alone time. It had taken them hours to get here, as Brains was such a cautious pilot. Alan had more than once thought about pushing him out of the seat but knew it wasn't worth the wrath from his Father. He hadn't learnt about John's collapse until after they had landed which was probably a good thing, as he would have definitely kicked Brains out of the pilot's seat.

"Earth to Alan, are you reading me?" called a voice and Alan turned to see Gordon grinning at him.

"Hmm, what? Did you say something?" he asked.

"Just checking you are still with us," he replied with a slight grin. Now John was feeling better and Scott was on the mend too, Gordon felt able to relax once more.

"Yep, can't get rid of me that easily," retorted Alan with a grin. Gordon always had this way to make him grin whenever he felt down. In fact, he could do it with all of them. There was just something about his water-loving older brother that made people smile.

"Shame," muttered Virgil, lightly. He ducked the piece of bacon that came flying at his head. Jeff glared at Alan who quickly got up and picked up the piece of bacon. Jeff picked up a newspaper from the table and opened it. He then smiled; it was good to see his boys relaxing after the events of the last day. He couldn't help but feel relieved that they were all going to be fine. Scott would need some recovery time, which of course was not going to go down well with the pilot, but it was tough he needed it.

John had caught his Father's grin behind the paper but didn't say anything. He sipped at his drink before tackling the meal in front of him. After three days of not being able to even stomach water, it looked like manna from heaven. He tucked in heartily.

* * *

"Is she now?" asked the man, looking down at the young woman.

"Yeah, she is so you can let her go. She isn't the one you want anyway," replied Scott, desperately hoping this man would let her go.

"I could do that," he conceded.

"But, you're not going to," added Kate, sensing that he had no intention of letting her go.

"Clever little thing isn't she?" said the man, grinning at her.

Scott watched Kate shiver as the cold dark eyes stared at her. It was all his fault that she was in this situation. If he had let her go in the first place when she wanted to, then none of this would have happened. "You could still let her go though. I'm the one you want. She has nothing to do with your wife's death."

"Maybe not but if she dies then you will suffer more. After that I will kill you and this time there will be no saving you."

"You won't have long, someone could easily come in here," said Scott, wondering where his family were. They can't have gone too far as they would never leave him all alone here.

"What you mean like that pretty little nurse who was in here? She is all tied up at the mo," he replied with an evil grin. Scott could instantly tell that he meant that literally and it worried him.

"He has family, too and they are here," said Kate, knowing that his family were downstairs. She had only entered his room after seeing them head downstairs and the nurse be paged.

Scott was relieved to know that they were nearby and now he just hoped that they would be back soon. He knew there was no way he could jump out of the bed and attack this guy. He could barely move let alone tackle a guy bigger then he was. His gaze moved over to Kate who though obviously terrified was actually holding herself together well.

"Aww, isn't that sweet. What a shame you'll be dead before they get back up here," the voice dripped with sarcasm and Scott saw Kate shiver.

"Look Mr uh. I don't even know your name," said Scott, trying to get the man to talk to him. Maybe there was some way he could talk this man out of killing them or at least distract him long enough for his family to arrive.

"You'll be dead in a few minutes, what does it matter?"

"It would be nice to know the name of the guy who is going to kill us," muttered Kate, flinching as the blade pressed tight against her neck again.

The guy suddenly grinned and released the pressure of the knife. "Feisty thing isn't she? I'm almost tempted to let her go." He paused as if considering it and the blade pressed tight against her neck again. "I'm not going to." He paused again, "If you must know my name is Mike Richards."

"So why not let her go Mr Richards? How does killing her help you?" asked Scott. There had to be some way to get Kate out of here. All she did was save the life of a stranger, she didn't deserve to die.

"I lost the woman I love and now you will lose the one you love."

"He never said he loved me," replied Kate, her eyes meeting Scott's. He looked back at her in confusion. What the hell was she doing? Was she trying to get herself killed?

"What?" asked the man intent on killing them.

"Scott told you I was his girlfriend; he never said he loved me. You want him to suffer like you are, then killing me won't do it," she explained. If she could escape then she could find help for Scott and maybe his family wouldn't lose him just a day after getting him back.

"Perhaps not but he will still suffer right, Mr International Rescue?" he queried, turning to look at Scott.

As much as Scott wanted to say that no it would mean nothing to him, he couldn't make himself say those words. His heart wouldn't let him. Every death got to him and this one would be one of the worst. He didn't even know this girl but she was the reason he was here. Out on a rescue, they were at no fault for any deaths but hers would be solely his own fault. He needed to somehow get through to this man to let her go. "Is killing us really going to help you deal with your grief though? ."

Before the man could respond Kate asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Before the man could reply to her question, Scott answered for him. "He blames me for the death of his wife." Even without knowing Scott, Kate could see that he also blamed himself for her death. The haunted look in his eyes told her that his pain went deeper then just her death.

"Exactly. If you had gone in to find her first instead of messing around with the fire then she would still be alive right now," the anger was dripping from his voice now.

Scott knew he had a short time to convince this man to let them go, before long someone would come into the room so he wasn't going to wait for long. The only question was how do you talk to someone so grief stricken they are beyond rational.

* * *

Jeff finished the last of his coffee and folded up the newspaper he had been reading. He could see that all of his sons had finished now and were getting restless. He knew they were all desperate to get back to Scott who would hopefully be waking up soon. He stood up and his sons all followed him. They quickly cleared the table up and then headed back towards the bank of elevators that would lead them up to Scott's room. As Virgil pressed the button, they were all distracted by raised voices down the corridor. They turned to see a young man arguing with the receptionist. He was angry and there was no sign of security or anyone to help the young woman. Without saying a word, the family descended on the man harassing the receptionist.

"I want to see my wife now," he yelled at the terrified receptionist.

"I'm sorry but we have no one here by that name," she replied.

The man leant over the counter as if he was going to grab her but before he could, Gordon and Virgil grabbed him, tugging him back. "What the hell?" he said angrily.

"I think it's time you left," said Jeff, calmly.

"No way. Not until I see my wife. Now get your hands off me."

"If you calm down and agree to leave then I'll let you go." Virgil's voice was equally calm but there was a dangerous edge to it.

John turned to the young woman behind the desk asking, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and then stood up, John's eyes were instantly drawn to her stomach and he felt the anger build. He turned on the angry young man. "You were gonna attack a pregnant woman?" he asked in disgust.

The others now all turned to see that the young woman was pregnant and clearly very pregnant. Virgil's grip tightened on the man's shirt. It was then security finally turned up.

"You took your time," muttered Gordon.

"Sorry we had another incident on the fifth floor," replied one of the security guards.

Alan looked at Jeff wondering if that was Scott's floor. He had been so anxious to see his big brother that he couldn't remember what floor they had been on. Jeff just shook his head, knowing exactly what Alan was asking.

"Well, we shall leave this in your hands," said Jeff as security took the man from Virgil and Gordon.

"Before you go, Sir, we will just need a statement. Company Policy, I'm afraid," said a man who was clearly head of security at the hospital.

Jeff nodded reluctantly and began recounting the events of the last few minutes.

* * *

Things were becoming desperate in Scott's room. Mike was ready to kill them now and Scott still had no idea how to save them both. "Is this what you really want?" he asked.

"Yes, it is. You deserve to die."

"Maybe I do but she doesn't. Kill me and people could probably understand your reasoning. Killing her would just be murder. You would go from being a grief stricken husband to a cold-blooded murderer. She isn't responsible for your wife's death. She didn't start the fire and she wasn't even there to have helped your wife. You have no reason to want her dead," explained Scott and he saw the barest hint of indecision cross the man's face.

"Isn't your anger seriously misplaced?" queried Kate and gasped when the knife pressed hard against her neck, drawing more blood. "I mean, shouldn't you be trying to find the guy who started the fire instead. He's the one who killed your wife," she added, watching a slow stream of blood trickle onto her top.

"Maybe we could have tried to find your wife first but that fire was out of control. It could have easily swept through the building and killed everyone inside, your wife included. She stood a better chance that way and there is a high chance that your wife died in the initial explosion. I am truly sorry for your loss and if I could go back and find her in time, I would," said Scott, pouring every emotion he had into his words. He wanted to reach out to the man before him and suddenly the right words came to him. "I can't imagine what it is like to lose the woman you love but I do understand loss and the need to blame someone for it." He paused for a moment, noticing that Mike was listening to him and the blade was no longer pressed hard against Kate's neck. "My Mother died in an avalanche a few years ago, the rescue services didn't have the equipment to save her. I blamed them for a long time for not being able to do more. I wanted to hate them and at times I probably wanted to kill them to but it won't stop the pain. It doesn't make the grief go away; it would probably make it worse. Don't become like the guy who set that fire in the first place, he's the cold blooded murderer not you," he stopped and could see that it was working. Mike was giving his words serious thought and the knife was now further away from Kate's neck.

Kate had also noticed this and whilst Scott was speaking, she began to slowly bring her arm up, ready for any opportunity to grab the knife. She was moved by the words of the injured young man and the real depth of his own pain.

"Your wife wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want you to destroy your life; you have to live on for her. Give her death some meaning. Even if you can't do it for yourself then do it for her," begged Scott. He could see the tears welling in Kate's eyes and could sense that the young woman understood their loss. Her hand was almost to the knife now and it scared him. If Mike realized what she was doing, he could suddenly turn again and it would all be for nothing.

As her hand was about to grab the knife, the door burst open and his family entered. Scott saw Mike's reaction and without a second thought leapt out of his bed, desperate to protect Kate. The minute weight was placed on his leg, it gave way and he fell to the floor. He could only watch in horror as Kate fought to get the knife.

Suddenly, Virgil grabbed the man and wrenched his arm back, forcing him to drop the knife. Freed from his restraint, Kate stepped away from him and then slumped to the floor. Gordon helped Virgil to hold the man who had now begun to fight violently against them. John and Jeff ran to Scott and helped him back onto the bed. Alan had raced out of the door to get security.

"You need any help?" asked John, turning to Virgil and Gordon who were still fighting with the man.

"Nah, we can handle it, just keep an eye on this though," replied Virgil, kicking the knife towards his brother. John grabbed a tissue and carefully picked it up.

The door flew open again and this time it was the Police along with Alan. Mike gave up the struggle and allowed himself to be handcuffed and escorted from the room.

It was then Virgil noticed that the young woman was still sat on the floor. He walked over and crouched down in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Kate raised her head and nodded at the young man before her. Her eyes then drifted up to where Scott was on the bed. She was relieved to see that he looked okay. Realizing she had been sat on the floor for a while, she made to stand up. Instantly a hand was held out to her and she took it. She could see it belonged to the young man who had just spoken to her and she guessed he was a relation of Scott's.

Virgil smiled at her and then realized his hand felt wet, looking down he saw it was covered in blood. He looked over at Kate to see some blood on her neck and the collar of her shirt but not enough. His eyes dropped lower and he discovered the source of the blood. In the struggle, she had cut her hand with the knife.

"I think this might need stitches," he said, gently lifting her hand so he could get a better look at it.

"Yeah, grabbing hold of the blade probably wasn't the smartest decision," she replied with a slight grin. It then disappeared as she remembered something. "What about the nurse who was looking after Scott, he said she was tied up?"

"She's fine and managed to escape. She raised the alarm, hence the presence of the Police. I think we better get that hand looked at. The police want statements from you all as well," explained Scott's doctor who had entered the room.

Gordon and Alan both groaned simultaneously. Kate nodded at the doctor and quickly left the room.

"Are you okay, Son?" asked Jeff.

"Yeah, I think so. Is Kate okay?" he asked. He hadn't been able to see what was wrong with her but he had seen the blood on Virgil's hand.

"She caught hold of the blade in the struggle and cut her hand," explained Virgil, walking over to his older brother's bed. Scott just nodded in response and Virgil could see that something was bothering his big brother. Before he could answer though the police were back in the room ready to take statements.

* * *

All the statements had been taken and the family were alone again once more. Alan finally had the opportunity to hug his big brother. He was so happy to see him awake. Scott smiled at his younger brother and Virgil saw the first genuine smile since Scott had woken up.

There was a gentle tapping at the door and it opened to reveal Kate. "Am I disturbing you?" she asked, softly.

"Not at all, come on in," said Gordon, opening the door wider.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That was some fall you took," she said as she entered the room. She was a little intimidated by his family so stayed near the back.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Are you?" he asked.

Lifting her arm up to reveal a bandaged hand, she smiled at him. "I've had worse." She then noticed Jeff Tracy walking towards her and she froze.

"Are you the person I have to thank for saving my son's life?" he asked, stopping before her.

"Yes, that's me," she replied nervously.

"Then there are no words I can use to express my gratitude towards you. You have returned something so important to my family and me. If there is anyway we can thank you?" he said.

"There isn't, just knowing you have him back is good enough and he just saved my life so we are even," she replied, her eyes moving back to Scott.

"No, we're not. I didn't save your life," muttered Scott, miserably.

"Yes, you did, Scott," she said, walking over to him.

"If I had let you go like you wanted then you wouldn't have been hurt," he retorted. The pain and anger in his eyes was evident to everyone in the room.

"Scott, he followed me in. What do you think he would have done if I had met him in the corridor?"

"I don't know," he replied, staring down at the bed cover.

"I do. He would have killed me in that corridor and gone after you. Because you didn't let me leave, you saved me. You were the one who kept him talking. You were the one who made him think about what he was doing and you were the one who convinced him to move that knife. If you hadn't then when they burst through the door, he would have slit my throat. I am alive because of you Scott and no one else."

"Maybe," he replied.

"This runs so much deeper then the last couple of days doesn't it?" she asked, touching his hand so he would look at her. She got no reply but knew she was right.

Virgil came to the other side of the bed. "You're not to blame for his wife's death, Scott," he said, knowing what was bothering his brother now.

"Aren't I? Who says we couldn't have done more. We could have gone in there after them first," he said angrily, turning to his brother.

"It wouldn't have made a difference," said Jeff, moving closer. Scott looked up at his Father. "I spoke to the coroner and she died in the initial explosion. You couldn't have saved her son," he added.

"Perhaps not her but there have been many others," he replied, his head dropping down again.

It was now Jeff realized just how bad his oldest son truly was. His two youngest were stunned but he could see that both John and Virgil weren't. It looked like Virgil wasn't the only one to realize that Scott was struggling. Kate then stood up and turned towards the door.

"Kate?" questioned Scott, sensing her movement.

"I think it's time for me to leave. You guys need to talk and that should be done as a family. I hope you work things out, Scott and remember the true value of what you do." She then walked over to his bed once more. She took his hand and only Virgil saw her place something in it. She then whispered something in his ear, which no one heard and kissed him on the cheek. Standing up she turned to his Father. "It was nice to meet you all and I can assure you Sir, that your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," he replied with a smile.

Kate looked back at Scott once more and then left the room.

"We need to have a long talk, Scott but I think that had better wait until we get back to the Island. This is not the place," said Jeff, turning back to his oldest son.

"When can we get Scott out of here?" asked Virgil.

"Yeah cos the security is rubbish," added Gordon.

"As we have the facilities on the Island and they cannot provide adequate protection, they are allowing Scott to leave now. We just have to sign some forms but then you can go home, Son," said Jeff smiling at his first-born.

"That's good," muttered Virgil. He couldn't believe how bad the security actually was here. Two incidents had happened virtually within minutes and the Security were nowhere to be found in both occasions.

The doctor re-entered the room armed with all the paperwork they would need to leave. Scott was relieved to finally be going home but he wasn't looking forward to the conversations that would follow. It was going to be a long few days.

* * *

Outside the hospital, Mike was being led to a waiting police car. He was handcuffed and being flanked by two Police Officers when suddenly there was a commotion in front of them. It was enough of a distraction for two men to creep up behind the officers. With almost perfect timing both officers were hit over the head and crashed to the floor.

"About time," he muttered as the handcuffs were removed.

"Don't go getting cocky, mate. The boss wants to see you," replied one of the men.

They soon arrived at a large black car. All the windows were tinted so no one could see in. The door slid open and an arm beckoned them in. Mike quickly climbed in and sat down opposite his boss.

"You failed me," said a voice.

"I'm sorry but I was interrupted. I had just convinced him that I was going to surrender. He truly thought that I was just a grief stricken husband, he had no clue who I truly was."

"Your only saving grace," replied his boss. His voice was calm but the anger was still evident.

"I will do it next time," he assured his boss.

"What's to stop you failing again?"

"You have my word that I won't," he said, knowing he had to convince this man to let him try again. He had no idea of his boss's true identity but he knew he didn't tolerate failure.

"It's not good enough. I don't allow second chances. Complete the job," he said turning to the two men who had rescued Mike from the cops.

Before Mike could react, a gun went off and he slumped against the door. The black car began to slowly pull off but not before dumping the lifeless body of Mike out the door.

* * *

_**So Scott is alive and on his way home but will, he let his family in to help him. What about Mike's death and the man in the car? One more chapter to go everyone. Please read and review, thanks.**_


	8. Letting Go

**A Sacrifice too Far?**

_**Disclaimer: Last chapter and I still don't own anything. Well nothing of relevance anyway.**_

_**Here it is the final chapter of my first multi shot story. Thanks to all those who have reviewed especially Sam1 for beta reading it and Loopsta for helping me with ideas. You two are brilliant.**_

_**Chapter 8: Letting go**_

Scott limped around the pool and collapsed onto the nearest sun lounger. How could a two minute walk tire him out so much? Of course, he knew the answer to that. It had only been a couple of days since he was shot in the leg and had almost died but it didn't mean he wasn't frustrated.

He also knew there was big chat coming up and he definitely wasn't looking forward to that one. A sound nearby alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone. Scott knew instinctively who was approaching and knew that the wait was finally over. He glanced over at the path leading to the beach and wondered whether it would be possible to reach it and escape.

"You wouldn't even make it round the pool," said a voice and his father appeared before him.

"Worth a try," muttered Scott as he gave up and accepted that this conversation was happening.

"You may not want this, Son, but you need it," replied Jeff, sitting down beside his eldest. He knew this conversation was not going to be easy but he had been expecting it for a while. Scott needed to get all of his pain and anger out.

"You sound like a shrink," muttered Scott, still trying to avoid the conversation.

Jeff could see that he would have to start this conversation himself. "Are these doubts because of the last few rescues or does it go back further than that?"

Scott hesitated for a moment. Was it just the last few rescues or did it stem back further? That was something he wasn't sure of. "I don't know," he admitted, honestly. "The last few rescues have been so bad that I don't think we are really doing enough anymore. Maybe this world doesn't need International Rescue anymore?"

"There will always be bad rescues and there will always be times when the best you can give won't be enough but it's not a reason to just pack it all in. What about all the times when rescues do go well. Think about all the lives that have been saved so far and the many more that will be saved in the future."

"Doesn't change the fact that we have failed all those people who died in the last few rescues," retorted Scott, angrily.

"Are you questioning your own judgment, Scott? Have the decisions you have made on those rescues been wrong?" questioned Jeff, already knowing the answer but needing Scott to admit it.

"I'm not sure. Maybe if we had got there sooner or had started in different areas, we could have saved more lives."

"Or lost more. Scott, you cannot live in the what-ifs, they will destroy you. I trust in you and have faith that in every one of those rescues you made the right decisions. No matter how hard we try there will always be some people you can't save," explained Jeff, putting every ounce of honesty into his words that he could.

"I know that but just recently it seems like all we are doing is pulling out bodies," replied Scott, turning away from his Father.

"That's still a very important thing, Scott. In fact it is one of the most important things you can do," said Jeff, passionately. Scott just nodded but Jeff could tell his son couldn't see the true importance of it.

Jeff stood up and moved away slightly. His eyes focused on the still waters of the pool as he spoke his next words. "When your mother died it was a long time before she was actually found. I knew there was no way she could be alive but without seeing her, I wouldn't truly accept it. The rescuers worked long into that night and would have given up sooner but I wouldn't let them. I had to have her back. I needed that closure and I needed to bury her somewhere we could all visit," Jeff paused, as his mind was flooded with memories of his late wife.

Scott sat in silence watching as his father stared off into the distance. This was the first time he had ever talked about their Mother's death. He knew his father still found it hard to talk about Lucy and avoided the subject as much as he could. On the rare occasions he did, it showed a completely different side of him.

Finally, Jeff turned back round to his son. "It may not seem like much but recovering those bodies can mean everything to the families. Do you remember my old friend Jerry Christen?"

"Weren't you two in space together?" asked Scott, wondering what on earth that had to do with anything.

"Yes, we were and stayed in touch when I left. When you were about ten, Jerry's wife went missing. Eventually, a man confessed to abducting and killing her. Enough evidence was found to prove he had done it but he refused to give up where she was. Jerry tried everything to find her including begging her murderer to give up the location but he refused. A year later he was killed in a prison riot." Jeff stopped as he thought about those days. Jerry had been devastated and there was nothing Jeff could say to help him. He could understand the loss but at least he knew Lucy was at peace and had been properly buried.

"So, she has never been found?" queried Scott. He only had vague memories of Jerry and he couldn't even remember his wife.

"No and now the murderer is dead, there is little chance she will ever be found. It's killing Jerry not being able to give her a proper burial," replied Jeff, moving to sit down beside his son once more.

"That's why you have always insisted we help with the recovery if we can," stated Scott, now understanding his Father's insistence.

"Yes, it is. If we can stop others going through that pain then at least we achieve something during a bad rescue," replied Jeff, smiling as his son nodded in understanding. He could see that he was getting through to his son now and perhaps Scott would start to see their worth once more. "Scott, I need to ask you something now?"

"Yeah?"

"This job requires 100% commitment and you have to whole heartedly believe in what it does. You cannot have doubts in a job like this or they will destroy you. You have to believe in the good that we do and accept that there are just some people who cannot be saved. I need to ask if you can do that, Son, because I don't want it to destroy you, you mean too much to me," Jeff paused and waited for the response. He couldn't deny that he was actually scared of what Scott might say.

Scott opened his mouth to respond and then closed it again. Was this what he wanted? Could he still commit to it whole-heartedly? His eyes wandered out across the island as he pondered the question. He had never thought that he would end up in this position. He loved his job and helping people but he missed doing all the normal stuff. He thought back over everything his Father had said and he knew what his choice would be. As much as he loved the idea of a normal life, he couldn't just give up being Field Commander. It was a big part of who he was. "I can still do it, Dad," he replied with true determination.

Jeff breathed a sigh of relief, knowing by his son's eyes that he meant every word. "Just because you are a member of International Rescue doesn't mean you couldn't have a family one day, Scott."

Scott stared at his Father in surprise. It was the last thing he expected him to say. "It's not exactly easy to do that though is it?" he muttered.

"Perhaps not but if you meet or have met someone you could see spending the rest of your life with then we can talk about it." Jeff remembered his earlier conversation with Virgil and knew that some of Scott's doubts were linked to the ex-girlfriend who had married recently.

"What makes you think I have met someone already?" asked Scott, suspicious of his Father's words. It then dawned on him that Jeff must have known about Emma, which meant Virgil had told him. "I'm going to kill him," he muttered under his breath.

"No, you're not. He was worried about you and under the circumstances; he had every right to be. You should have told us how you were feeling, Scott. Bottling up your feelings never helps."

Scott lowered his head and stared at the ground beneath him. "I know."

Jeff placed his hand on his son's shoulder and gently squeezed it. "I know as a big brother you don't like to burden them with your problems but you can always talk to me, Son."

Scott looked up at his Father and smiled. "I know that too and I will try more," he replied honestly.

"That's all I ask. Well, that and no more trying to give me a heart attack," he said, standing up. "I must have been mad having five boys," he added.

Scott grinned and stood up beside his father. "Oh, you love it really. After all without us, whose gonna look after you when you're old?"

Jeff returned the grin, adding, "I'm sure I could find someone."

"I guess I better go find Virgil then," replied Scott, his grin fading at the thought.

"Don't be too hard on him. He's taking events of the last few days harder than he is letting on." Even with the talk he'd had with Virgil, he knew his middle son was still struggling to take in everything that had happened.

Scott nodded and limped back towards the villa. His thoughts moved to where his younger brother would be. If his Father was right and Virgil was suffering then he would be on his own somewhere. His first stop, however, would be his room for some more painkillers. His leg was really starting to hurt again and he could tell it would be a few more days before the pain finally eased off. Though, of course, if anyone asked him then he would deny it. Quickly swallowing the pills, he decided to head to the silo for Thunderbird Two.

Entering the silo, he paused and stared at the huge craft. Although, Thunderbird One would always be his favourite there was something awe inspiring about Two.

"She still takes my breath away," said a voice to his left and he turned to see Virgil.

"I think she always will," replied Scott, moving over to where his brother stood. It was evident that Virgil had just finished cleaning his baby.

"You okay, bro?" asked Virgil, studying Scott closely. He could see a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead and he looked a little pale.

Scott rolled his eyes. He had been asked that question so many times. He gave the standard answer, knowing that Virgil probably wouldn't believe him anyway. "I'm fine."

"Uh-huh, sure you are," replied Virgil. He'd expected an answer like that but it would be nice, if just for once, he could have been honest. Virgil knew he wasn't fine and he knew that Scott was still taking his pain medication, which told him that his brother was still in a lot of pain. Scott hated taking any form of medication and would stop as soon as he could.

Scott ignored his brother's comment, knowing they had more important things to discuss. "I can't believe you told Dad about Emma," he said in annoyance.

Virgil looked guiltily away. He had been waiting for this moment. "I didn't mean to, it just sorta came out."

"Well, it shouldn't have," retorted Scott, his anger building.

Virgil felt himself getting angry. "Well, I'm sorry that I was too busy worrying that you were going to die to watch what I was saying. Next time I'll keep my mouth shut." He then turned and stormed away from his older brother.

"Ah hell," said Scott and he limped off after Virgil. He now understood what his Father had meant when he warned Scott to go easy on Virgil.

Virgil stopped at the other end of the silo. As much as he wanted to leave, he still had a lot of work to do. Thunderbird Two had received some slight damage on their last rescue due to a landslide so he had some minor repairs to do. He heard Scott approaching and groaned.

"I'm sorry, Virge," he said and watched as his brother paused but didn't turn around. "I told you about Emma in confidence and I didn't expect you to go tell Dad. But I guess I also didn't expect what happened to me, to affect you so much. I should have known you wouldn't just tell him for nothing," continued Scott and he finally got a reaction from his younger brother.

"Yeah, you should have," replied Virgil, spinning round to face his brother. "And why would you think that you almost dying wouldn't affect me? You're not just my big brother, Scott. You're my best friend and the one person who knows everything about me," he paused and then sighed.

Scott said nothing as he could tell his brother had more to say. He watched as Virgil sat himself down on the floor and then joined him. They could do with some chairs in here. "When I saw you lying on that bed, I knew you were right and this job was not worth it. I could easily have quit there and then," he said finally.

"What stopped you?" asked Scott.

"Dad. After I stormed out of your room he came after me and we talked everything through."

Scott was surprised that Virgil lost his temper, as his younger brother was not known for violent outbursts. His anger came out through his art or music. He let that pass for a moment and moved onto the bigger issue. "You don't anymore do you?" he asked.

Virgil shook his head as he responded. "No. What about you?"

"I don't either. Like you, Dad helped me to see the worth in what we do," replied Scott and he knew that he meant every word of that.

"And Emma?"

"Is married to someone else. Plus, she never sent that letter so there's nothing to say she actually feels that way," replied Scott. Although a part of him would always wonder about her, he had to move on. His hand then pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket. Keeping it hidden from Virgil, his eyes read the number written on it.

"You should call her," said Virgil, standing up.

"Call who?" asked Scott, suddenly wondering if he had missed a chunk of their conversation.

"Kate, whose number is written on that paper in your hand," replied Virgil with a grin as he moved off to finish clearing up.

"How do you know it's her number?" asked Scott, quickly shoving the paper into his pocket.

Virgil turned back and grinned again. "I saw her give it to you." He turned back and walked away, leaving Scott to pull out the paper once more.

"Maybe I will," he replied, softly to himself and then hobbled slowly after his brother.

The End.

* * *

Well for now anyway. I do have a sequel lined up if you would like one. Thank you to everyone who read my story especially those who reviewed it. Big thanks to Sam for beta reading this. You're brilliant honey.


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